


all our enemies have been defeated

by poeticandvaguelysweet



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: F/M, everything's fine nothing hurts, spoilers for who survived the fire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:59:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14205603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poeticandvaguelysweet/pseuds/poeticandvaguelysweet
Summary: It is as if nothing bad happened in The Vile Village. Jacques and Olivia defeated Olaf and his henchmen, they found The Quagmires and took in The Baudelaires. All is right with the world, all is sweet and pure and cosily cuddled up by the fireplace.This is no longer a series of unfortunate events.[a series of prompts, drabbles and vignettes]





	1. in the quiet of the evening

**Author's Note:**

> spoiler warning: if you don't know who survived the fire then be warned. I have included them in this story. Beyond that, I don't actually remember much of the books from Slippery Slope > onwards and don't have time to read them. So, it'll be spoiler free. Will update if anything changes.

The fire crackled, warming the room with a vermillion glow as Mozart played softly from the gramophone in the corner. She had two children sat together in a love seat, their heads almost touching as they poured over books about poetry, one whispering to the other about couplets as she tapped at the pages of her book. Another child, the eldest was sat on the floor fiddling with some contraption or another as last two scribbled in dark green and purple notebooks.

She felt content for the first time in a long time and could see that her children felt the same too. The sitting room was just another glorified library in their modest home, comforting with knowledge and the warmth of the fire.

They were safe. Olivia and Jacques had made sure of it.

He entered the room so quietly none of the children raised their heads. Jacques was carrying Sunny on one hip while his hand steadied a tray full of steaming mugs of hot chocolate. ‘Sunny taught me to add cinnamon.’ He told the children as they each raised their heads and accepted a cup from his tray. Jacques put Sunny on her feet, leaving the youngest girl to toddle over to her sister.

‘All our enemies have been defeated.’ Olivia sighed, happy to feel the warmth and weight of Jacques by her side as he settled into the sofa beside her. She accepted the last mug of hot chocolate with a small smile.

They put an end to Olaf before his schemes could continue to hurt any more lives. Jacques was starting to feel like they were approaching the end of the line in that prison cell, unsure of if he would ever taste freedom again. They outwitted the villain, his girlfriend and his acting troupe. They found The Quagmires in The Fowl Fountain thanks to Isadora’s couplets and The Baudelaire’s ingenuity.

All was right with the world.

Quigley was their missing piece and as Jacques had assumed there had been a survivor of The Quagmire fire. Kit returned him to his siblings and the watchful care of Olivia Caliban.

‘What now?’ He asked her, voice quiet as his eye wandered towards the children each of them doing their own little thing, none paying any mind to the adults tucked away in the corner. ‘Marriage? Children?’ He raised a brow, breath baited as Jacques waited to hear what she had to say.

‘We already have the children.’ He eye followed the same path his had done earlier, hesitating a moment as she counted them out, making sure they were all still there. Her gaze returned to his, something in her eye sparkling as she grinned.

They had the children. They had the home. They were headed for a healthy life now that the evils of V.F.D had been extinguished. Lemony and Kit were still out there, tracking down a few loose ends, promising to send word if things went awry. Jacques was confident that the world was finally quiet. No more fires. No more death.

He grinned at her, smile slowly as it engulfed his whole face. ‘I guess we better get married then. What do you say?’ Olivia could no longer feel her face, glee so wide the muscles were straining. Her kiss was the answer, lips locked tightly as her hands clung to his face. They forgot about the children for a moment, caught up in each other’s embrace as the fire crackled and the music continued to lull all their pain away.

Someone cleared their throat, and when Olivia and Jacques turned to the group of children, it was hard to distinguish which one of them had made a noise. They continued to sit, heads down in books, journals and inventions as their hands strayed for a mug of hot chocolate with every few beats of their heart.

Olivia giggled, flush reddening her cheeks as she turned back to Jacques. ‘I think it’s a splendid idea.’ Her hand was sitting on his chest, thumb rubbing a smooth line against the fabric of his shirt. His hand rose to sit with hers, squeezing her small fingers in a wish that he had a ring in reach to seal their quiet deal. He would find her one later, hidden away in a jewellery box of family heirlooms or perhaps he would ask the children to make one. She would like that. Something that came from teamwork, all her beloveds doing something kind for  _her_.

‘When it is all over,’ when his siblings returned home when they were confident that the world had been rid of the problems that threatened their lives. ‘We’ll discuss having our own children.’ She grinned at him, noses bare inches apart as her other hand clung to his face, fingers grazing the back of his neck as she watched his eyes shimmer.

It had been so long since either of them was happy. The children were another story. Their poor tortured hearts and minds were still waiting for the other shoe to drop. They were happy, she could see it on their faces even when they weren’t showing it. But, they had grown accustomed to feeling content only for Olaf to show up and threaten their lives once again.

Olivia saw his body. Jacques did the dead. They knew this was over. They were leaving no one for prisoner, too scared to risk an escape. All the wanted now was the children confident that they were safe, able to sleep in their own beds rather than a mess of blankets in a shared room, too scared to leave each other alone in fear they would be taken in the night. Jacques kept guard only to keep their minds at ease, the man losing sleep so the children could relax.

It wasn’t perfect, but they were getting there. Trauma was a tricky thing, and Olivia had not been in this game long enough to fully understand the extent of the Baudelaire, Quagmire and Snicket worries. She was more than happy to appease them. There to provide a hug when needed or to stroke their hair after a bad dream. Mostly, she hovered like an overbearing adult, trying to engage in their activities.

Slowly but surely, they were recovering. Olivia knew two things for sure with their new lives: she loved Jacques Snicket and the children they rescued. The children loved them back.


	2. #2 - after the storm has passed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia and Jacques collect the children from Mr Poe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Ok. Okay. I have so many assignments due next week it’s not funny but I cannot stop thinking about these two. 
> 
> I shouldn’t be doing this but -- if you have any prompts for this ship feel free to send them through and I’ll add them (when I have time) to this little drabble spot here on AO3. 
> 
> I just ask that you state it’s for ASOUE because I do take prompts for a different fandom and will get confused if nothing is explicit.

‘Would you hurry up?’ Olivia huffed, stopping in the middle of the sitting room, her arms filled with heavy books. The house was new and quickly filling with furniture but it wouldn’t be a  _home_  until books were on the shelves. She saw to that task herself but Jacques had insisted on helping … or rather, was spending his time watching her lift heavy stacks with unimaginable ease. ‘We cannot bring the children home until the house is complete and I am getting quite anxious without them.’ It had been a mix of maternal instinct and a good heart that left her worried. The children were safe. She knew it, Jacques had reassured it, they had all seen the fall of terrible evil with their own eyes and the paperwork was ready to be signed.

Mr Poe was handing over The Baudelaires and The Quagmires to Jacques Snicket and Olivia Caliban’s shared custody. The banker had warned with a cough and a wheeze that the children were trouble, misery and woe following their every step. He did not believe — or know — like they did that Olaf’s reign was over. Jacques didn’t expect much from the man who constantly misidentified the wrong man and had come days away from doing the same to Jac, sending him off to an unfortunate end.

It was going to be good to be rid of that man. Like breathing easy once a cold had finally fled one's sinuses.

‘Relax.’ Jacques offered, his hand slipping over the small of her back. ‘They’re with Jacquelyn.’ She seemed to settle. Not that it was new information. Olivia knew where the children were and why they were there. She and Jacques were due at the bank any time now to sign the appropriate paperwork that made the children their responsibility until each one turned eighteen and claimed what was rightfully theirs. For some, it was only a few more years. For Sunny, it would be a large portion of her life, if her siblings allowed her to stay in Olivia and Jacques care … which they were hoping Violet and Klaus would have no opposition to.

‘We’ll go pick them up as soon as you’re done here.’ Jacques reminded her, a kiss pressed to her cheek as she grinned, corner of her lip curling, unspoken challenge rising in the back of her mind.

Olivia hummed, giving him a curt nod and a wink as she threw a book over her shoulder, the title landing exactly where she wanted it to on the appropriate shelf. She did it to a second and a third, before tossing three books over her shoulder at once each one landing with a heavy thunk before settling perfectly in its new home. Jacques could only watch in admiration, something tingling across his skin as an absent-minded smile eased its way across his cheeks. It was a feeling he had only ever witnessed in his brother. A feeling he had often heard described but had never felt himself. It was contentment, admiration, devotion and love all at once setting his nerve endings on fire and fizzing out across his system.

‘I’m done.’ She told him, dusting off her hands before extending them beyond her body as if to tell the man to admire her handiwork. He already had been and wasn’t about to be the one to tell her there were several more boxes of books just begging to be unpacked before five children  (soon to be six, but that was a different matter he was assured his brother was sorting out) slipped into the halls and buried themselves amongst the books already available for perusal. For it was only fair to give one a wider range of options before expecting them to settle on a single story.

He didn’t stop her. Didn’t remind her of the other boxes. Only prattled off a small list of things they thought absolutely necessary for the children in their new home. New clothes. New notebooks and pencils. New toolboxes and magnifying glasses. New things to chew and chomp and warm blankets ready for the best nights sleep they had all had in a long time. Olivia nodded at each item, knowing they were presented at the end of each bed or tucked into brand new closets and writing desks.

She climbed into his cab, taking the place at the driver's wheel before she noted the nervous shake in her fingers, excitement and worry all rolled into one. Olivia was ready to bring the children home, ready to take on the responsibility of being guardian to six remarkable children all at once. It scared her. But what difference was being a librarian excited to encourage and engage than being a pseudo-parent? She was anxious too, worried that they would arrive at Mulctuary Money Management only to find the building gone or the children who were supposed to be inside of it, vanished. Terrible things were still likely to happen. She and Jacques had ended only one terrible plot master, but it didn’t feel likely that a second would arrive so quickly. She slipped across the seat, sliding into the passenger side as Jacques rounded the car and took the wheel.

The children were there, waiting as they should have been all five sets of eyes turning towards her and Jacques as they entered Mr Poe’s office. Each small face lit up with glee, thankful and warmed that their new caretakers had arrived unharmed. She saw their bodies sigh with relief as Violet got up from her chair to give Olivia a one-armed hug, Sunny on her other hip.

‘We have a lot of things to explain to you.’ Jacques told them, paperwork signed and Mr Poe bid farewell for the final time. They had four children sitting in the back of his cab while Olivia in the front held onto Sunny during their ride through the city. He watched them through the rearview mirror, catching their eager and impatient eyes. ‘And I promise, we’ll explain it all … tonight, when you’re settled. There’s no use rushing into things immediately.’ Jacques saw them deflate and wondered how many times the children had heard those words before their guardian was killed and their questions were left unanswered. ‘I promise’ He met eyes with each child in the mirror before he felt Olivia’s reassuring hand on his arm.

They looked disappointed and impatient, Klaus’ mouth poised open and ready to ask a question. It was Duncan who held him off, catching them all on a different train of thought with a quiet. ‘I almost thought we’d never see the city again.’

Olivia’s heart clenched, her whole body aching for the children who had seen too much pain since losing their parents. ‘Do you feel comfortable staying here?’ She asked. It had been their home, the place where they grew up, the libraries their parents took them to, the parks, Briony Beach. Violet and Isadora gave small nods while the boys sighed quiet acceptance. ‘We have a house just outside the city limits and within the zones for your old schools … if you would like to attend again.’ It was understandable if they didn’t. For The Baudelaire’s, in particular, their names had been flushed through The Daily Punctilio more times than they could count. It was unquestionable that all their peers would know their story by now. Regardless, Olivia had applied for a position in both the private libraries locked behind the school gates or the public one only few trolley stops away.

They were looking at her wide-eyed and teary when she turned her head towards their silence. Normalcy had been so long forgotten in the past several months that the children had completely forgotten about school and their friends. It was too much. She could see it written explicitly across their faces, their hearts scrunching down to crushed pieces of paper. How on earth could they return to that? Would it be safe? Had the world tilted its axis and would everything be marred by their time at Prufrock Preparatory School?

‘We can think about that another day!’ Olivia’s voice picked up, trying for cheery as she flashed the children with a big grin. ‘The schools are closed anyhow, it’s mid-year break. Probably better to homeschool you all until the new year. Might make it easier to start off with a fresh slate.’ They all nodded slowly, small smiles responding to Olivia’s warmth despite their shaking hearts.

They spoiled the children with takeout for supper. Wherein, neither Olivia or Jacques saw themselves as good cooks and rather were saving the children from that kind of torment. They were giddy like children were at their options of greasy Chinese that came from a questionable looking shop front but tasted divine eaten out of the carton on the floor belong to one of many sitting rooms. They hadn’t ventured much beyond that, the house still a mystery to the children as Olivia practically vibrated with a want to show them everything she had set up for their arrival. For now, they were happy to camp put on the rug beneath them, sharing food orders across several plates as Jacques did his best to documents the very beginning of the V.F.D. He lingered on moments involving their parents, unknown details coming to light as each child savoured bravery and ingenuity, all of them marvelling that their loved ones had kept this life a secret.

‘Our biggest threat was Olaf. I am sorry your parents had to pay the price for his greed.’ Their faces were sullen but hopeful, caught in juxtaposition as they tried to look forward while the grief of their parents, finally actualised and allowed to be felt, pressed down on their shoulders trying to hold them back despite their ability to keep on  _living_  for months before now.

‘Why don’t we all go make some hot chocolate and go to bed? You must all be so tired.’ Olivia offered them a kind smile, the look almost always plastered on her face as she stood and reached her hand out to the first child willing to take it.

Isadora stood and the others followed as Jacques kept up the back of their small group, Sunny sitting on his arm. ‘Are there any tunnels under this house?’ Violet asked.

‘Or useless elevator shafts?’ Duncan quivered.

Jacques chuckled, unable to help it as Olivia gave him a warning glare, his humour fading to seriousness. ‘We’re free of all those things. It’s a new life and a new beginning for all of us. There will be no more secrets, okay? V.F.D might still need us but that will be dealt with when the need arises.’ Five heads nodded. ‘Would you like to check for yourselves?’ He returned to the tunnels and hide-e-holes.

Klaus turned with intrigue. Happy for an opportunity to ensure his safety and that of his sisters as well as close friends’. ‘I think the children need to be going to bed.’ Olivia offered, already glowering like a disgruntled mother.

‘I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep unless I am sure.’ Duncan supplied, small shiver chasing across his skin as he stepped closer to his sister. In all fairness, they had been tucked away in ersatz elevators, red herrings and even fowl fountains. The children had a right to want to see with their own two eyes that they were safe.

‘After hot chocolate.’ She compromised, each child following like a duckling as they made their way to the kitchen, following small instruction as she asked for help in preparing such a large batch. Sunny squawked, her siblings filling in that the youngest of the newly Snicket-Caliban children knew  _just_  the recipe.


	3. #3 - getting lucky in the penthouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as the title implies. Jacques and Olivia get lucky in the penthouse. 
> 
> this chapter is rated Mature.

They got distracted. One minute they were looking for the children in the penthouse of 667 Dark Avenue and the next they were kissing in one of the many unused bedrooms. She was swept up in the moment, caught in the man who was no longer mysterious to her but still full of so many mysteries. He made her head dizzy and her skin hot, the woman unable to meet his eye on more than one occasion in fear that she would melt into a puddle right at his feet.

Jacques Snicket had been feeling the exact same.

It was a tension that snapped. Adrenaline coursing through their systems after they scaled the building in a hurry. He couldn’t help it. Her flushed cheeks and wild eyes were too much for Jacques to ignore. She was stunning this Olivia Caliban who had slipped into his cab and stayed by his side ever since. He was still trying to think of ways to thank Jacquelyn for sending Olivia his way. In the interim, Jacques had only intended to kiss her softly, one peck until all this villainy was over. He had not factored in the way she would respond.

He had given her ample opportunity to back away, to step aside and keep calling out for the children inside the apartment. Olivia fell quiet, her eyes darting from his gaze to his lips until he closed the space between them. She reacted quickly, hands sliding up his torso and over his shoulders as nimble fingers thread their way through his hair, pulling his face closer to hers as Olivia deepened their kiss.

She kissed him like she was drowning and Jacques was the only one who could provide her air. Their heads spun, the world growing dizzy as it filtered away altogether and left the two of them standing there. There was nothing left but Jacques and Olivia and the kiss she was pressing into, tongue exploring his mouth as the man opened to her every whim. His hands explored her body wrapped in fitting leather as his thick fingers slipped around the curve of her waist before they gripped the perfect round of her ass.They fit together like two pieces of broken porcelain, finally reunited, all their chips clicking into place as their chests heaved together. It felt good. It felt like they were complete for the first time in a very long while. It was only a kiss.

It was hard to determine who made a noise first. Jacques groaned as her hips slid against his while Olivia gasped against his mouth, lips open, the both of them just breathing each other in before she recovered and nipped at his top lip playfully encouraging him to continue. They thought of the task at hand, briefly, knowing at any moment the Squalors could come home and find them in this unused bedroom making out like randy teens. Neither of them could find the will or want to stop. Olivia did, however, step away from Jacques for just a moment, only inches between them as her hand pulled slowly at the zip on her jacket, letting it fall open to reveal the small camisole she wore underneath.

She could feel Jacques staring at her chest and where previously she might have felt self-conscious she was now happy for his gaze her hands returning to him as she gripped his wrist and pulled his heavy palm towards her breast. She sighed when his hand touched her, fingers fitting perfectly around the shape of her before he squeezed. Olivia felt his fingers tug at the top of her camisole and bra as his lips met her smooth skin with wet kisses until his teeth grazed the sensitive nub of her nipple. He did the same to her other breast, treating them both with nips and licks as she mewled above him, her hand scratching through his hair.

They really did have children to save. Young lives that depended on them and yet when they pulled away for a second time, brown eyes meeting blue, silently telling each other they had other things to do, neither stopped. Jacques only tugged her back towards him, large hands on her hips before his fingers found the button and the zip to her pants. The sound elicited a Pavlovian response in her as Olivia shimmied her pants down her legs and returned to kissing him, both hands on his face.

She squealed softly, a small sound of surprise filtering past her control when the backs of her knees hit the mattress of the bed she had forgotten was in the room. Jacques tried to shush her, not completely confident that they were alone in the penthouse and if they weren’t he really didn’t want anyone barging in right at this moment.

Olivia climbed onto the bed, ass waving in Jacques' face as his fingers curled around the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs. ‘You’re amazing,’ he told her when she stood on her knees to kiss him, one hand in his hair, the other sliding down his stomach and into his pants.

Everything blurred for Jacques the second he was rid of his clothes. It all melted into caresses and kisses, the silk of her skin against his and the breathy little sounds she made in his ear. He was, however, committing Olivia Caliban to memory. He would forever remember the freckle on her stomach and the curve of her waist and if all else faded away from his memory Jacques was sure his lasting thought would be her gasp when he pushed inside of her. Nothing was going to erase that from his memory.

They moved in unison, give and take as Olivia’s eyes closed and her back arched against the bed. She saw stars begin to bloom behind her eyes as she questioned the last time she had felt this  _loved_ , wanted, touchable. Everything at been so cold and dismal at Prufrock, lonely and abandoned as her job remained null and void bar for ten minutes of every day. Olivia Caliban was starting to think romance was only for novels stacked up beside her bed. Full of charming heroes and dashing heroines that kissed in the heat of a moment, during the middle of an adventure.

And yet, here she was, mid-coitus with Jacques Snicket after they had climbed forty-six floors in search of two missing children they had feared were in grave danger. She was still learning the ropes of V.F.D and Jacques was trying his best to teach her quickly. He was a great teacher, kind, compassionate, patient. His heart was in the right place while hers was currently beating erratically in her throat.

They really shouldn’t be doing this. She didn’t have the want to stop it. Not when she could feel her climax broaching the edge of oblivion ready to jump off and shatter into a million little pieces. Her eyes fluttered open, desperate to make contact with Jacques before she tumbled over the edge.

His blue eyes were blown wide, lust filled and dark as he lowered his head for their lips to meet. She shuddered, body convulsing as he drove a final hard thrust into her, their hips meeting as her orgasm broke with a quiet sigh. It was indescribable the way Jacques filled her, made her feel whole and complete. She shattered, unable to hold it back as she felt Jacques’ body tense above hers, man groaning as he stilled.

He was peppering little kisses across her cheeks, waiting for her to recover when they heard the scream of children in peril and the wicked laugh of Eśme Squalor. Jacques and Olivia jumped apart, each of them tugging at their clothes, trying to lip them back on as quickly and efficiently as possible.

‘Hey,’ Jacques stopped her as she moved for the door, ready to face whatever and whoever had hurt those children. ‘I don’t — I don’t do this with new recruits … or anyone … at all.’ He stuttered, suddenly self-conscious around her despite what they had just done. Jacques just needed Olivia to know that it wasn’t nothing, not to him.

She smiled, a brilliant pull of her lips that set his heart soaring and his mouth mirroring the affection she was displaying. ‘I don’t make a habit of it either, especially not with heroic men I am falling in love with when there are children who need to be saved.’ She winked, Jacques sure his cock twitched in response.

‘Love?’ He was trying not to choke, his cheeks flushing as his eyes diverted away from her. Did he love her? She did she actually love him? They had not known each other long but Jacques was starting to think of his new recruit as a whole part of himself. Especially after what they had done.

‘We’ll talk about it later, okay?’ She gestured towards the door, reminding him that there were children to be saved. That had been the point of their day, not just getting lucky in the penthouse.


	4. #4 - Nosocomephobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @ethala - One of the children gets sick (with a cold or the flu or something) and their siblings and friends are rightfully anxious concerned Olivia and Jacques are not only dealing with the sick child, but the protective children too

‘No hospitals!’ Klaus announced abruptly, causing Olivia to jump as she looked up from the toddler in her arms. She and Jacques had been talking quietly about what to do with Sunny who had come down with a fever they couldn’t break and was barely keeping her head up. The youngest of their adopted children was lethargic, she could hardly keep her eyes open and hadn’t properly eaten anything in days.

The librarian had read everything she could about helping toddlers fight disease but nothing was helping Sunny. Their case was getting dire. ‘Klaus, I think we might have to.’ She grimaced at him, trying to give the boy some support as she pulled a hand away from the toddler to squeeze his arm.

‘No!’ He told her, making a fuss as stubborn tears started to blur in his eyes. ‘We’ll read more books. We don’t need a doctor or a hospital to help Sunny, we can help her ourselves!’ He was adamant, standing his ground with rolled fists and a stern look on his face despite the distress he was displaying.

‘Honey,’ Olivia started, hand reaching for him a second time as the boy pulled away. She flinched, hurt that he wouldn’t want her comfort. They hadn’t had a single problem with the children until Sunny had fallen sick and Olivia wasn’t sure if they had grown comfortable with time enough to start pushing buttons of is Sunny’s illness was rattling all of them.

She turned to Jacques with a helpless look in her eye. Olivia felt like she was out of her depth with the upset boy. They had helped the children through a trauma, one that Olivia was still trying to understand and never once had she faltered with them. But, Sunny, with her burning forehead pressed against Olivia’s chest, was draining her of the mental strength to solve Klaus’ problems before he could announce what they were. ‘What’s the problem, Klaus?’ Jacques asked, his hand sitting steady on the back of Olivia’s chair, eyes watching over her shoulder as Sunny’s eyes fluttered closed, fever still rosing her cheeks. ‘Your sister is very sick and no one here is a professional in medicine.’ He knew a few tricks of the trade for minor injuries and curing a cold when one had important secret organisation business to attend to. This was something else.

Nothing was going to stop them, two grown adults, from taking the baby to the hospital. Not even Klaus’ concerns but they felt the need to accommodate the boy who was getting increasingly upset.

The boy fidgeted, growing agitated with himself as the adults looked for an answer in the young teen. ‘I just, I don’t like hospitals.’

‘You don’t have to come, honey, that’s okay.’ They weren’t planning on carting all the children out there any way there was no use making them sit in the emergency room when only one of them was sick.

Klaus shook his head, his words earnest. ‘I have to protect her.’

His adoptive mother smiled, the look on her face melting with the same supportive grin she had been giving the children since she met them. ‘Klaus, it’s okay. We’ve got this now. You get to go be a teenage boy.’ She wasn’t telling him to not worry about his sisters but that he could let go of the reigns. This was her job now, Jacques too and they were doing a great job at keeping them safe.

He shook his head. ‘I don’t want you to take her to the hospital.’ He was still trying for stern despite the shake in his voice. ‘She’ll be scared.’

‘I won’t leave her side, I promise.’ Olivia offered. ‘We’re not going to let anyone hurt your sister, Klaus but she does need help. I am very scared of what will happen to her if we don’t get her to the hospital.’ She pleaded with him, trying not to scare the boy but also expressing her urgency. ‘I’m more scared than what she’ll be and it’ll be nothing like what you children endured after your parents died. I promise.’

Olivia had a habit of saying ‘I promise’ but so far in everyone’s experience she had not failed on a single promise yet.

‘You won’t leave her? Not for anything?’ He asked, holding Olivia’s gaze as he made her promise again.

She smiled at him softly, eyes quickly retreating to Sunny’s fever raddled face. ‘I love you children as fierce and as strong as your own mothers had. I swore nothing bad would happen to any of you but I can’t protect Sunny from this illness on my own. Jacques and I have our limits. Trust me when I say I won’t let her out of my sight, not for a single second.’

The young teen still looked concerned but he nodded, granting the adults permission to guard his sister into a place he did not want her to go.

The others looked puzzled when Jacquelyn arrived, smiling at them with excitement as Isadora and  Duncan sat on the floor trying to teach the puppies to balance things on their nose. Jacques nodded to them, all eyes looking in his direction for affirmation while Violet stared at the side of her brother’s head. He helped his wife with her coat, Olivia juggling the toddler in her arms until she was ready to brace the old outdoors of the cities outskirts.

‘We’ll be back before you know it, children.’ She told them, dropping a kiss on each of their heads as they all said bye to Sunny, Isadora squeezing her little hand.

‘We’ll call.’ Jacques promised Klaus, nodding towards the boy while Olivia ran over emergency details with Jacquelyn. ‘C’mon, she knows what to do.’ He tugged at his wife’s arm, pulling her away from their five children and the sitter as he reminded her that they had one, in particular, they needed to focus on.

[…]

‘You’re making me worried now, Klaus.’ Isadora approached them, two eldest Baudelaire’s sitting on the couch and staring off into space. They were lost without their sister, unsure as to how they could conduct their lives even for a few hours. They were used to protecting each other.

Klaus looked the worst for wear, Violet putting her hand on her brother’s shoulder before she turned to their friend and now quasi-sister. ‘He has a fear of the hospital.’

‘Phobia.’ Klaus corrected. ‘It means an irrational fear. I know I shouldn’t be scared, that everyone needs hospitals — that Sunny needs the hospital — but past experience dictates all logic.’

‘Our parents left him unattended,’ Violet continued. ‘There was a clown in the children’s ward, there to make the kids feel better but Klaus woke up alone, no mom or dad and only this clown twisting a balloon into an animal.’

It seemed harmless. Barely an issue at all, but the incident of waking up to that balloon animal screeching latex against latex and finding both of his parents absent despite their promise not to leave his side. He worried for Sunny. Worried that Jacques and Olivia would step out for a second to get some fresh air or seek out a cup of coffee. He feared that Sunny would wake at that time, unwell and disorientated and she would panic just as he did. That feeling of abandonment had surfaced full throttle in the back of his throat — it was almost humorous now to think that his parents had left them, all of them, for good and that feeling barely wormed its way up his spine. Ironic that he had worried so much when the threat was barely there.

‘They won’t leave her.’ Isadora reassured, her smile soft and sweet on her cheeks. They wouldn’t leave Sunny not after what had happened to all six of them. Olivia wanted to protect them too fiercely to need a minute of fresh air while the baby was sleeping in a hospital bed.

Klaus nodded, accepting the other girl's words with a forced smile. He was still worried, nothing was going to stop that but Isadora’s words as soft as the promise was matched so sweetly with what Olivia had said.

[…]

Olivia was back in the morning, Sunny asleep in Jacques’ arms.

The hospital staff managed to break her temperature after a long night of struggling. Olivia felt dead on her feet, exhausted down to the bone as they shuffled through the door during mid-morning as the children were clearing off the table from breakfast.

‘You’re home!’ Violet was the first to notice, dropping the cutlery she was carrying to race over to her guardians and sister. ‘Is she okay?’ The girl didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate and didn’t ask before she was pulling her sister from Jacques’ hold as the man tried to tell her to leave the toddler be.

They knew they would never slip back into that house quietly. With five children there was no going unnoticed when one was coming and going or trying to do things without being detected. Each of those children had reason enough to be on high alert with every rustle and creak of the house. Although Olivia and Jacques had shown there was nothing to fear it was only natural that the kids were still checking over their shoulders.

Violet took her sister, transferring the girl into her arms as she cuddled her close, squeezing as she pressed a kiss to Sunny’s still warm cheek. ‘We were going to go tuck her into bed.’ Jacques offered flatly, frowning at the teen who had no care for what he said. She wanted to see that her sister was okay with her own hands and eyes.

It took a second flat before Klaus and the Quagmire’s joined them, each child reaching for Sunny, touching her or pulling her from the arms of the other.

Olivia watched Sunny move about the group, still sick, still lethargic, not protesting to the hands that kept changing her. ‘She’s doing better. It was a long night.’ Olivia sighed, her whole body shifting now that she was in the comfort of her own home. Would it be wrong of her to disappear to her bedroom for a nap now that Sunny was under the watchful eye of her siblings?

‘We’ll take her to her room.’ Violet answered Olivia’s silent question, offering her guardian a smile in the middle of a hoard of children. Each of them nodded, offering comfort to the adults with slumping shoulders.

Even Jacquelyn was nodding, promising with a wink that she would keep an eye on the children for a little while longer as the ruffled adults managed to get some shut-eye.

‘Children,’ Olivia called to them, their bodies moving up the stairs, Sunny in tow. Isadora was mindlessly chatting about the  _perfect_  book of poems to settle Sunny into a deep and restful sleep. They turned, each one stopping to look back at Olivia. ‘No more hospitals?’ She asked, half a demand as a smile cracked across their faces all of them promising it. She couldn’t lose any more sleep sitting in hospital chairs agonising over the young life in front of her. It hurt too much to see Sunny in pain. She was the youngest, still defenceless. It hurt the most to watch her struggle but it did not mean Olivia had the strength to watch the others through it too.

‘Go get some sleep.’ Klaus nodded towards their direction, leading his siblings upstairs, his hand holding on to Sunny’s.  


	5. #5 - this home, this beating heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jacques and Olivia's night of babysitting is cut short and they're left to confront the idea of having their own children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was watching S3 and I just really missed these two. There was a need for some random domestic fluff. Had this first image of Olivia in my head the whole way through the season, kept telling myself it was a nasty dream.

 

The rocking chair lulled her as a late night breeze danced amongst the curtains. Olivia’s toes touched the floor, applying pressure to keep the chair in motion. Beds surrounded her in the large room, three on one side, three on the other. The children laid in various forms of tucked in, a bed or two empty as quiet eyes watched on in the silver moonlight.

There would come a day where the Baudelaire’s and the Quagmire’s felt themselves too old to sleep in a shared nursery. But, for now, they felt safe, sleeping in rows, all six of them in the same place capable of keeping watchful eyes on one another.

In the recent weeks, since they had taken the children in, Olivia Caliban had learned how to project her voice across the room, keeping her tone quiet as she read from the pages of her favourite books. Each child had their interests in reading, but they could all agree that they enjoyed the simple comforts in having Olivia read to them from whichever book she chose.

Violet shuffled into the room, hair tied up in a ribbon and a pensive expression on her face. Olivia stopped, watching the girl find her bed with ease as the ribbon was tugged out of her hair and her head dropped to her pillow. There was no doubt that Jacques had found the girl in her studio, tinkering away at some invention or another, completely unaware of the time. He would have encouraged her to go to bed, and Violet’s frown was only a condition to her unfinished project.

Olivia watched her for a minute, noticing the way Violet’s brown eyes closed immediately, girl curled on her side, her breathing even and restful. She was out like a light. Her eyes graced the room, jumping from one bed to the next as she surveyed the quiet, peaceful faces of the children around her. All three Quagmires were asleep, Sunny too leaving Klaus the only one with open eyes.

She continued to read, for Violet’s benefit, wanting the girl to have the same graceful fall into her dreams as the others. Each of them drifting off with the sound of Olivia’s voice filling their ears and gracing them with a pleasant nights sleep. She was only a page or two away from the end of the chapter anyway, and Olivia preferred to leave it where the author intended instead of closing the book and starting again tomorrow in a jagged place.

The rocking chair continued to rock, the breeze from outside settling cool air across the children’s beds. She had one hand on the spine of the book, resting it against her knee as the other hand lazily stroked the back of the babysitting warm and heavy against her chest. Olivia thought, for a minute, that she would stay there and read another chapter, covered in the pleasant smell of a newborn, her six children sleeping easily around her. She knew if she read ahead of their consciousness that she would only have to backtrack the next night.

She didn’t have to think about it much longer when a figure in the doorway caught her attention. He was dressed casually, snug in a thick cardigan she adored, one leg crossed over the other as he waited for her to notice him. ‘Kit’s here,’ Jacques announced carefully, mindful of the sleeping children as he kept his voice low.  

She deflated a little, dreamy feeling no longer sitting warm in her chest as she pouted at the man in front of her. Kit was supposed to be gone all night and well into the morning. She liked his sister; her vagabond spirit seemed to light up every room and encourage a spark of excitement in each of the children when she appeared. But, Olivia was settled, warm and comfortable, happily rocking the baby she held. She was not ready to give that up.

‘Would you like me to keep reading?’ She turned to Klaus, the boy seemingly wide awake. He shook his head, happy to pull a book out from under his bed. ‘Okay, well, don’t read for too long. I’d hate for the others to be woken.’ He promised to try, but both he and Olivia knew how easy it was to get swept into a thrilling book and long since forget about the minutes and hours that were passing them. She made a mental note to come and check on him before she went to bed herself.

Jacques helped Olivia to her feet, one hand taking her wrist as the other found its place at the small of her back, centering her as she stood with the added weight of the baby she held. She didn’t move from the room immediately. Instead, Olivia wandered past the beds of each child, ensuring they were comfortable and sleeping well. Jacques closed the book she had been reading, leaving a bookmark on the page she was at before depositing it on the dresser by the door.

‘I thought we were supposed to be babysitting all night?’ She asked, door to their makeshift nursery closing behind her softly. The baby in her arms stirred, small head lifting as they grizzled before resettling.

Jacques chuckled at her dismay knowing that days ago when they had been asked to watch the baby, Olivia had stressed upon the fact that they would have  _seven_  children under their care. She had asked how they would manage as if their home was full of toddlers and not almost teens more than capable of looking after themselves.  

He wouldn’t be lying when he said he was all too overjoyed to see his sister’s early arrival, Dewey

Denouement by her side ready to pick up their daughter and head back to the comforts of their own home. It meant Jacques was free to spend the night with his wife in all the ways he wanted to without the interruption of an all too lovingly spoiled infant.

They adored Beatrice.

Every single person who came into contact with the baby adored her. The children, Olivia, Jacques himself. Even Lemony when he made a rare appearance despite the pain in his eyes every time someone uttered her name. Olivia was just as attached as Kit was, in awe of the little girl with her dark hair and round cheeks.

‘Is there something else going on here that I should be made aware of?’ He asked with a glint in his eye. It was hard to miss the baby fever that seemed to overtake his wife no matter how desperately she tried to deny it. He saw this coming from a mile off. The second things settled. No Olaf. No Esme. The fires calmed, and the smoke died. The children settled, stopped being as fearful as they had been. And Olivia, she married him, made herself at home in  _his_  home. Dedicated herself to  _them_.

Kit’s belly grew and with that came Olivia’s excitement.

It was only natural that she felt a protective and disappointed surge towards the baby being taken earlier than they had anticipated.

‘What are you talking about?’ She asked, blinking at him over her shoulder before she took to the stairs.

‘I don’t know,’ Jacques shrugged, playing nonchalant. ‘Maybe seven’s our number … or eight.’ He winked at her, watching as she descended the stairs in a loose nightgown, arms wrapped lovingly around his niece. God, how good that image would be if it were  _their_  child she was holding. Flesh and blood made from love. They adored the children they had now, those they chose to take in and swore to protect. But, his little girl or boy rocked in the arms of their loving mother. That was something Jacques was intrigued to see. Just now letting himself dream it while the world was quiet.

She didn’t answer him, only grinned brightly at Kit and Dewey who met them in the sitting room off from the front hall. ‘That was a quick date night.’ Olivia announced with no shame at all, gliding effortlessly across the floorboards as she approached her sister-in-law. ‘We expected you to be back much later. Like we agreed.’

Kit laughed, arms reaching for the baby Olivia reluctantly handed over. ‘What can I say? We missed our little girl.’ With her arms empty, Olivia reached for Jacques, needing to hold something as Kit rocked her daughter easily, resettling the baby who had been disturbed in the changing of arms. ‘Thank you for watching her.’

‘It was no problem.’ Olivia shrugged, shy to admit that she was addicted to that fresh baby smell. Her heart already mourned the days that Beatrice grew out of it. It takes a village to raise a child, or so she had learned from the program run at The Village of Fowl Devotees. The concept didn’t work well there, but now, Olivia thought, knowing the people that would gather around herself and Jacques if they called for it. Just like they were all there for Kit and Dewey.

The baby cried, startling both her parents who gravitated towards each other to soothe their daughter. The cry was nothing, just a noise of discontent alerting her parents that the rocking motion her mother was making wasn’t enough, or had been too much and startled the girl in her sleep.

‘When are you two going to start popping out your own little ones?’ Kit asked with a teasing gleam knowing all too well what their responses would be. But, Beatrice Denouement-Snicket needed a cousin after all. Preferably one close in age. Kit was only going to eagerly nudge her brother and sister-in-law into it at every opportunity she could get.

They both blushed, beet red sliding from their necks to their cheeks. Jacques slid an arm around Olivia’s back, holding her close as she sputtered for an answer.

‘We’re still thinking about it.’ It was a simple and honest answer. One that made Olivia stop, allowing herself to feel warm as a smile crept over her cheeks. They were thinking about it. There was indeed room in the house, even after the Baudelaires and the Quagmires decide to take to their own rooms instead of sharing the combined comforts of the nursery.

Kit grinned, the answer enough for her as she watched her twin brother smile lovingly down at his wife. She made quick excuses then, shuffling herself and her own husband out the door despite Olivia’s requests for them to stay. The crib was already set up for Beatrice, and it saved them the trouble of putting her in the car. Nevertheless, Kit said goodnight with a knowing spark in her eye as Dewey took the baby so she could hug them each.

The front door closed behind the Denouement’s making Olivia sigh. ‘I hate seeing her go.’ Mournfully, she sighed. With her six children tucked in bed, safe and sound, the only thing Olivia was left to ache about was the departure of Beatrice every time her parents decided it was time.

‘What if you didn’t have to?’ Jacques asked, making his wife turn to him with a curiously raised brow. ‘I mean, it wouldn’t be Beatrice of course. But, what if it was easier to say goodnight to her because —’ he shrugged, suddenly feeling coy. ‘— you know, we would have our own.’

‘Jacques Snicket, are you trying to say you want to have a baby with me?’ Her grin was glorious, lit like the stars and Jacques could have sworn he saw a spark dance in her eyes. ‘We do have six children upstairs.’ That she was hoping were now fast asleep and wouldn’t wake for water or a need to quell the obscure curiosities that befell them in their dreams. Which had happened all too many times to count.

He shrugged before his lips turned in a devilish grin, mustache picking up at the corners. ‘That depends on if it is something you want.’ He had lasted this long, and honestly, the children upstairs were plenty but he would give anything to have a baby of his own … exclusively with Olivia Caliban. Only if she wanted it as well and for once Jacques was absolutely certain that she felt the same way.

She kissed him before he even noticed that the space between them had been filled. Her touch was soft and sweet as it always was. The kiss tentative, testing the waters as if waiting to be disturbed at any moment from any one of the children in their care. It was hard to find a quiet space within their day, but not entirely impossible.

‘There’s nothing I would like more.’ Olivia answered against his lips, pressed up on her toes as her hands held herself steady against his broad arms. If there was anyone she trusted enough for a task such as this, it was Jacques.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to do more of these. Let me know if there's anything in particular that you want to see.


	6. #6 - Mountain Views

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @crystalphobic : happy road trips in a taxi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only road trip about this is that they’re in the taxi, and use it to get some place. But, it’s not 100% road trip. I apologise. Hope it’s happy and fluffy enough to make up for it.

 

‘That’s the beauty of books,’ Olivia sighed wistfully, head turned to the window as she watched the Hinterlands stretch out in every dusty direction. ‘No matter where you are or what you’re going through, they grant an escape to all sorts of places. Sometimes,’ she laughed, the sound soft and girlish. ‘I consider myself well travelled despite having done very little.’  

Sitting beside her, Jacques understood what was being implied. She hadn’t travelled not for lack of interest but from a lack of capability. Something, somewhere in the world had stopped her, and he was reasonably sure it was due to circumstance.

‘This is as far as I have been outside of the city.’ This was it, her first experience outside of the city and Prufrock Prep, and the world had handed her this. The Hinterlands. A vast space of nothingness. She deserved more than that. Jacques felt like if he could have had some control over the moment, the mission and the circumstances that surrounded them. He would have chosen a more fitting location.

Too caught up in his head Jacques forgot to put his indicator on before his hands turned the wheel of the car and sent the vehicle bouncing off the dirt path. In the following days, weeks, months and even years V.F.D would send them to all sorts of locations for all kinds of moral righteousness. For now, he wanted to show her something.

‘Where are we going?’ She asked, startled by their sudden and somewhat reckless driving.

Jacques grinned, humour cutting deep into his cheeks. ‘Off the beaten path, if you will.’ He could feel her eyes on the side of his head, curious as to why he had suddenly disregarded his very safe and conscientious driving. But, Jacques knew what Olivia didn’t. There was a shortcut to be found.

‘So, when you said it was your first day in the city … you meant it really was your first day?’

Olivia nodded as Jacques stole his eyes from the vast nothingness to lose himself in the sorrow filled depths of hers. He wanted to give her a reason to smile and an excuse to put her worries behind her. She deserved to shine as brightly as the sun, and even though the world was filled with woe, Jacques felt like he couldn’t be at ease unless she was blissfully happy. He had pulled her into this volunteering life, but maybe, just maybe he could make her happy on top of all that.

‘I’ve been at Prufrock for a very long time.’ The answer was easy, but the understanding was difficult. Just like the Baudelaires and the Quagmires, Olivia Caliban had been orphaned. ‘Librarian’s don’t get paid much when their libraries are only open for ten minutes a day.’ She couldn’t afford to explore the world, to leave the job that had taken her in as soon as she graduated. Once, Olivia thought it was a positive thing, back in the days where the library was open longer, and the principal was still around. She thought she could maybe run that school one day if she put her head down and worked hard enough. She was certainly loyal. Of course, things didn’t work like that. At least not for her and then Nero came along, and it all got significantly worse.

Books were her escape. He understood it the first time she said it, Jacques had often had moments like that. Books always would be the perfect form of escapism.

Beside him, Olivia yawned with her arms stretched out in front of her. ‘You can sleep … if you want.’ They had a long drive ahead, and he could see no reason (beyond keeping him company) for Olivia to exhaust herself. He caught the blush on the apples of her cheeks as she muttered a quiet sorry. ‘Nothing to apologise for.’ The sun was starting to set and based on their location, Jacques was confident they wouldn’t arrive until the morning was just breaching the skies. ‘The last few days have been long and difficult.’ The children were safe, finally. All five of them. Quigley Quagmire was something of a mystery that Jacques felt comfortable handing to someone else for the time being. He could break away with Olivia, if only for a day and then they could return to the restless volunteering.

She fought it for an hour, keeping her eyes open as the sky blended with the earth. Everything was orange, clouds and dirt dancing in tangerine. If it weren’t for Jacques confidence in his driving, he likely would have stopped until he could tell where the horizon broke in two. He kept on, eager to meet the sunrise upon their arrival. He knew she was giving into sleep when Olivia pulled her legs up onto the front seat and shuffled closer. Her head touched his shoulder, and Jacques swore his whole body ran impossibly hot.

She fell asleep like that, her hair soft under his cheek and smelling faintly of jasmine. Jacques wished at that moment that he wasn’t driving so he could wrap an arm around her to pull her closer. He didn’t want to take the risk, even if the road was straight and he wouldn’t be turning for hours. Instead, Jacques left her be mindful of the shoulder she snoozed on as he navigated them through the night.

[…]

Despite sticking to a reasonable and safe speed, Jacques was making excellent time. They would arrive earlier than anticipated although only by an hour or two. In these trying times, it was the small things that lifted him up. Even things as small and seemingly insignificant as the arrival time of a brief getaway.

Olivia woke before they arrived and Jacques had a distinct thought, that with her awake, or seemingly coherent enough to open her eyes, it could be an opportunity for him to get some sleep himself. He only needed an hour, just something to energise because God knows he had learned to function on less. There was no time for sleeping when the wicked walked the earth, setting fires, kidnapping children and sniffing close to the toes of those who had the sugar bowl.

He didn’t want to stop. So, he carried on with Olivia sitting somewhat shyly beside him like she hadn’t been sleeping on his shoulder for the last six hours. ‘You didn’t drool.’ He told her, catching an inconspicuous hand slide across her cheek. She blushed deeper, thankful for the dark of night that covered the depths of it.

‘Where are we?’ Olivia asked, moving back towards the window as she looked out, trying to squint against the landscape they were travelling on. One thing was for sure, they were no longer in the plains of The Hinterlands.

‘The Mortmain Mountains.’

‘Oh,’ She gasped, startled by that piece of news. ‘I never thought I would see the mountains.’ The admission was quiet, wistful as her warm breath fogged the window.

Jacques smiled, happy with his choice despite having a plethora of options. V.F.D were more than likely to send her here in the following weeks, but Jacques felt the  _need_  to show her what made The Mortmain Mountains so spectacular to him. In the hopes of offering her some small comfort if they were separated for her official indoctrination. ‘You won’t be  _seeing_  them so much as looking at the world  _from_  them.’ Her head turned, eyes wide and curious, sparkling even in the dark as if to ask what he had meant by that. ‘We’re headed into the mountains, Miss Caliban. But, perhaps, on the way back down we can stop and view them from below.’ He was already making a mental note, hoping to stash away a picnic if they timed their departure right.

‘I trust you.’ He didn’t know why she felt the need to say it, her gaze leaving him to return to the snowy landscape around them. Jacques felt humbled, warmed by the implication as his own cheeks flushed.

‘Was that being called into question?’ Jacques wasn’t able to help himself from asking.

She shook her head, ‘No. I — just, a lot has happened in the last few days. Strange, horrible … and wonderful things. I never would have thought I would be here. In Jacques Snicket’s taxi, the children are safe, the sugar bowl is being retrieved, and just a few weeks ago I had no idea about any of these things. Funny,’ she chuckled, ‘where life takes you’.

He wanted to stop the car and kiss her. It was all he could think about. This brave, intelligent, beautiful woman. She made him speechless.

‘I trust you. I just,’ she chuckled again, ‘cannot believe I wasn’t going to get in your cab at all. Where would I be now, if I hadn’t?’

‘The way I see it, Olivia Caliban.’ He turned to give her a dazzling smile. ‘You were destined to get in my cab, there are no ifs, ands or maybes. This was what you were destined for.’ Given what he knew now, Jacques wouldn’t change a thing. He would like to alleviate the children’s suffering, but everything that happened meant he almost hit her with his cab. Jacques wasn’t entirely sure what he would do if he had not have met her. It was horrible to admit. But, he would do it all the same. Or, perhaps, there was another cunning way to have her step right into his life. It was neither here nor there, this was the path they were on, and they were getting closer to his destination.

Most guests, especially newcomers were brought to V.F.D Headquarters blindfolded. It provided security for all involved. In fact, Jacques knew of a few select members who had only  _ever_  been to HQ with blindfolds on.

The place wasn’t like it used to be, not since the schism and if he was sincere it made Jacques feel a little morose. He was a little surprised it was still standing considering it had been abandoned for months. No one was safe anymore, especially in large groups even at a secret location disclosed to a trusted few. This wasn’t why he had brought Olivia, in fact, it had nothing to do with Headquarters itself and everything to do with the plateau in which it sat. Nevertheless, Olivia was in awe of the structure built into the mountain and standing proud.

‘You really have a wide reach, don’t you?’ She laughed, standing on the front steps with her head tilted to the sky.

He chuckled back, blissfully amused by her admiration. ‘Villainy knows no bounds.’ They needed to have someplace central to focus the volunteers and apparently the height of the mountains was it. Jacques really had no say in V.F.D’s Headquarters. ‘C’mon lets put on some tea, and I’ll show you around.’

They spent thirty minutes wandering the halls, Jacques showing Olivia this room and that, saving the library for last and allowing her a proper twenty minutes to dance her fingers up and down the spines of every book that pulled her in. He almost didn’t want to take her away, wanted to let her sit and read in comfortable chairs from whatever text she fancied for however long she pleased. Hell, he would more than happily join her after stoking the fire to keep them both warm.

It wasn’t hard to admit that Jacques Snicket would give Olivia Caliban anything and everything she wanted. Suddenly, he could relate to his brother and the feelings he harboured for Beatrice.  It made sense now, that kind of devotion surviving through to the bitter end. But Jacques was vowing to himself in that instant, as Olivia turned to him with glee, that he wasn’t going to push her out of his life the way Lemony had punished himself. He and his brother had their similarities, but they would be different on this cause. Jacques wasn’t about to let a beautiful brunette slip through his grasp.

‘We’ll come back to the library, I promise.’ He just had to show her something first.

Without realising, Jacques had extended his arm towards Olivia. As she returned to his side from the depths of the V.F.D HQ library, her hand reached for his, fingers lacing without a second thought. She blushed when his eyes travelled down to their locked hands, but neither pulled away. He was sure it had something to do with the library, filling every cell in her body with happiness until she was partly delusional with glee.

He led her through Headquarters, past sitting rooms, labs and an array of shining awards. The emblem of an eye lay scattered across wallpaper and stitched into the carpet as if it was a  _must_  that the decor matched the cause. The chandeliers glistened above their heads as they broke into the large ballroom where V.F.D held all its lavish parties. He wanted to see her, more than anything, dressed in a beautiful gown and celebrating with his friends. Perhaps even socialising with Kit and Lemony, drink in hand, smiles pressed to their cheeks. Jacques shook his head, he was being sentimental and foolish, letting his head take leaps and bounds before his rational thoughts.

The french doors were left open, curtains blowing in a slight breeze as the temperature from outside infiltrated the warmth of the building. He felt Olivia shiver, her hand tightening around his as her body hovered closer in a moment of shock before she acclimatised.

Despite its disuse, a housekeeper or three still wandered the halls. Keeping the dust away, the vermin out and the fridge fully stocked. They had set up a pot of tea and two cups out on the balcony as Jacques had asked and the sight alone almost warmed him thoroughly. But, it wasn’t on his mind for long as his eyes drifted to Olivia’s face, her fingers untangling from his as she stepped out into the scene he so thoughtfully wanted to share with her.

‘Jacques.’ His name fell from her lips on a breathless sigh he so desperately wanted to hear again. Her hand had lost contact with his only seconds before her fingers curled around the edges of the balustrade. She pushed herself forward, leaning into the barrier that prevented Olivia from plummeting to her death as a cold wind picked up her hair and threw the smell of it right back into his face. He was heartsick. Completely head over heels, and they barely knew each other. What was there to know when one was a brilliant and devoted librarian who cared about the wellbeing of orphans. ‘This …’ She was lost for words, staring out at the world that lay at her feet, the sun just rising.

He couldn’t move for a minute, entrapped in the glory of her wonder. The only reason he managed to find movement was because he couldn’t see her face, couldn’t read the dropped jaw and shining eyes that he so eagerly wanted to read.

‘I’ve never been up this high.’ She turned to grin at him, mouth open wide as a steady stream of laughed filtered from her lips. He couldn’t see the view, only Olivia, the sunset reflecting in her eyes in every colour imaginable, made beautiful by her magnificence alone. He would never experience a sunrise like this ever again, and frankly, Jacques could only mourn his want to live it over and over again with fresh eyes. ‘It’s beautiful.’ He could feel the sun start to warm his sides, rising steadily as his body came to live with every new inch drenching the skies.

‘You are.’ He told her, answering finally as the mango light reached her cheeks, breathless as he did so.

Stretched out in front of her, foreground to the rising sun, lay the world as they knew it. If she squinted, The City could be seen with it’s towering buildings and bustling streets. The road they arrived on was etched into the dirt somewhere along with the faint smudge of The Village of Fowl Devotees.

Everywhere she had been.

Everywhere she was going.

It was there, right at her feet as Jacques intended it to be.

Olivia stole away from the moment to look at him, the man devoted to her staring with a warm smile and cup of tea in his trembling hands. He wanted, badly, for this to impress her, to tick some imaginary box. Had he won her approval?

She kissed him, closing the space between them as her hand tucked itself into his jacket to curl in the fabric of his shirt. Olivia held on for dear life as soft lips met his, the man tasting of tea and sweet relief. ‘You are a marvellous man.’ She whispered against his lips, the sun warming them both and chasing the chill away.

‘And you are a marvellous, woman.’ He grinned, stealing a kiss simply because he felt he could. Olivia only smiled, dreamy and in awe, blinking at him like she had been renewed. ‘You said you weren’t much of a traveller, but here we are. The world is your oyster, Olivia Caliban. I will gladly take you wherever you want to go.’

‘Wherever?’ She asked, gaze suddenly coy as her eyes darted from his face to the fingers that were playing with the buttons on his shirt. ‘Do we have to leave right away?’ He felt the innuendo more than heard it, like every nerve in his body was in tune with hers.

Jacques swallowed, ‘wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go’. It was a vow, deeply embedded in an anxious promise to see where her first desire would take them.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments feed me
> 
> don't forget, if you would like some more little drabbles just let me know what you'd like to read for Jacques, Olivia, they're adopted orphans and even their own sweet little nerdy babies.


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